Hekate's Chalice: Adept Solutions Book 1

Adept Solutions

Special Investigators for the Magickally Challenged

Book One

Hekate’s Chalice

By

Teagan Kearney

The right of Teagan Kearney to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchases.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © Teagan Kearney 2016

Cover photo: Shutterstock

Dedication

To Tim, as always, for your loving support and help.

And to my readers—a heartfelt thank you.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Monday 5.30 pm Nov 1st All Saints’ Day

Chapter 2: Tuesday 9 am

Chapter 3: Tuesday 10 am

Chapter 4: Tuesday 11 pm

Chapter 5: Wednesday 10.30 am

Chapter 6: Wednesday 2.30 pm

Chapter 7: Thursday 10 am

Chapter8: Thursday Midday

Chapter 9: Thursday 4 pm

Chapter 10: Thursday 8.30 pm

Chapter 11: Time Unknown

Chapter 12: Time Unknown

Chapter 13: Time Still Unknown

Chapter 14: Sunday 1 pm

From the Author

Chapter 1: Monday 5.30 pm Nov 1st All Saints’ Day

JB lit another stick of incense, as heavy rain drummed a counterpoint on the windowpane to Nikki’s furious typing.

Don’t lie, Zhanna! I know you’ve cracked my password. And you’ve been sneaking into my files. That makes it the second time today. Nikki kept her eyes fixed on the screen and her black curls quivered as she shook with suppressed anger.

Zhanna, a six-inch faerie of the Irayisi race, smoothed the sides of her pink and black spiked Mohawk hairdo with her matching striped fingernails. She fluttered her wings, and sparks of iridescent color refracted like stars exploding into the air. I haven’t been near that antiquated piece of junk you call a–

Look at her! Nikki demanded of her boss. Was she watching me dress this morning? Other than the additional pink, and the Mohican hairstyle, their Goth outfits were identical, right down to the brass studded black leather boots.

JB rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders as he placed the incense in its holder on his desk. A thin line of smoke rose, and the scent of sandalwood purified the atmosphere. Coffee, soda, anyone? It wasn’t much of an attempt to keep the peace, but it might stave off a full blown hissy fit from either of them. He stood and stretched his tall lean frame. His mixed daemon, elf, and human ancestry gave him a dark brooding quality.

As if I haven’t got enough on my plate with Juan moving in, and putting his boxes all over the place. And keep those nasty fingers of yours to yourself. Nikki hissed at Zhanna, revealing her unnervingly pointed canine teeth.

Zhanna’s gold tinted eyes flashed, and pouting, she tossed her sparkly star-topped wand on the desk and flew over to the window. Nobody here understands me. She landed on the windowsill and leaned forward, her tiny nose touching the glass. I don’t deserve to be sentenced to this place. EBay scams should be classed as misdemeanors. It’s not as if we intended to hurt anyone. And what’s with this wet stuff pouring out of the sky at all times of the day and night? Her finger followed a raindrop as it ran down the glass. In Faerie Land–

Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it before. In Faerie Land, everything is hunky-dory.

Oh, come here JB. There’s a little lost child standing outside our door.

JB crossed the room and peered down at the street. The weather was too miserable for all but the most enthusiastic of shoppers, and as five thirty approached, the sidewalk filled with office workers scurrying along with their collars turned up and diamond raindrops glistening on their umbrellas as they headed home. Mellie’s, the café on the ground floor, was closing, and even though it was late afternoon, the low-hanging leaden-bellied rain clouds made it almost as dark as night.

Zhanna perched on JB’s shoulder and stroked his earlobe with a striped fingernail. Stop that, he said twitching as he studied the disheveled, rain soaked young girl peering anxiously at the door.

There are quite a few shades following her. I’ll get rid of them. Nikki’s gaze raked the darkened doorways on the opposite side of the street.

Yeah, some always overstay their welcome and take their own sweet time to return to the other side. But what do you expect the day after Halloween? There’s a bunch over there, JB pointed to an entrance a short distance away.

And there. And there, squeaked Zhanna, grabbing a hold of JB’s hair, and digging her fingernails into his scalp. She stared in horror as more shades gathered.

The girl pressed the buzzer, and JB went over to the intercom and pushed the button. The unexpected caller disappeared inside the building.

Nikki opened a window. Mind your ears, she warned as she held the large pale coral-pink conch to her pursed mouth. Sucking in a lungful of air, she blew hard and sent a long, deep mournful sound out into the city. Drawing in another breath, she blew the conch two more times.

The shades shredded and melted into the darkness as several windows opened from nearby apartments. Some were more polite than others as they shouted at her to quit making that racket.

Slaret ua! Nikki cursed as she banged the window shut. Stupid ungrateful humans! Would they prefer to live in a shade infested neighborhood? Do they want nightmares or sweet dreams? They should be showering me with gifts in thanks for the service I performed!

Shh, JB said as he opened the top drawer in his desk and deftly laid the sleeping faerie on a pile of silk cushions. He closed the drawer, leaving a gap big enough for her to exit when she woke.

Like all faeries, Zhanna needed regular naps to replenish the high amount of energy she continuously expended. Sodas and other sugary drinks kept her awake for a certain length of time, but only for so long. Then she’d crash anywhere–on the keyboard of her laptop, on top of the microwave, even once in the sink–until someone laid her in her bed.

Well, more than one good result then, Nikki smiled as she rinsed and dried the conch before returning it to its place on the shelf, next to a white oak stake, a solid gold crucifix, a pair of silver handcuffs, and several jars of dubious looking substances.

Hello?

JB and Nikki turned as their visitor knocked timidly on the office door.

The girl was young, around fourteen or fifteen years old. Her pale blonde hair hung in rat’s tails around her shoulders, water dripped down her forehead, and her clothes were soaking wet. Her large brown eyes regarded them with trepidation.

Come in, come in. Nikki, find a towel and bring our guest a hot drink, will you? Come and sit down. JB’s serious, almost grim expression softened as he pulled out a chair for her.

The girl’s shoulders relaxed a fraction at